Endless summer? Seaside swimming season should last for six months, council to say
A seaside council is to ask for summer to start two months before June and last until Halloween – and that’s no April Fool.
Officials in the Ards and North Down area argue Stormont should extend Northern Ireland’s set seaside swimming period so it lasts for a total of six months, effectively meaning summer would cover half the year.
Currently, beach swimming season is defined as from the start of June to mid-September. The council’s officials want that changed to run from April 1 to October 31, however; from the time spring has sprung to spooky Halloween night.
The six-month period would “better reflect current patterns of beach use”, officials state in council reports, and enable authorities to get in the swim when it comes to boosting public health.
Stormont’s Department of Agriculture, the Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) maintains a list of 33 beaches and swimming spots that are covered by bathing waters legislation. Almost one-third of those locations are in Ards and North Down, and the council has already signalled that it wants to add more to it.
The region is home to several sandy shores, including beaches at Helen’s Bay, Crawfordsburn, and Ballyholme in Bangor that draw huge crowds of sun-seekers in warm weather.
Recent years have also seen an explosion in the popularity of sea swimming there, which happens regularly in spots such as Brompton Bay in Bangor and Donaghadee Harbour.
Using an April to Halloween definition of Northern Ireland’s swimming season would see Daera monitor and test water quality in all of those coastal areas for roughly an extra 15 weeks of every year.
As those tests are used to inform the public of water quality and shut down beaches during pollution incidents, council officials think a six-month version of the bathing season would bring obvious health benefits.
Reports state that although officials “see merit” in running testing all year round, especially as many sea swimmers continue to go in during winter months and coastal communities often have special dips organised around Christmas, they’re worried doing so might be a strain on Daera’s finances.
“Extending the bathing season from April 1 to October 31 would better reflect current patterns of beach use by both residents and visitors,” officials state.
“This would ensure that water quality monitoring and public information are available during the period when demand is highest and when coastal tourism activity is most significant.”
They add that testing in winter may be less accurate, as rainy weather causes temporary increases in runoff that could affect the results.
Officials want politicians to approve a response to a Daera consultation that would see the council call for the extended swimming period.
As part of the consultation, Daera is thinking of adding QR codes to beachfront signs reporting on water quality that would enable the public to get up-to-date information online. Council officials back that move.
Ards and North Down has already signalled that it wants to add two more of its locations – Burr Point at Ballyhalbert and Portavogie’s north beach – to the list of bathing spots when Daera nominations reopen. Officials said a way of making that process easier would be welcome.
The call is due to be discussed by council politicians next week.